Collapsible decoy



Sept. 25, 1956 w. D. BRUCE COLLAPSIBLE DECOY Filed July 5, 1955 INVENTOR.

BY WIN/am D. 5/006 COLLAPSIBLE DECDY William D. Bruce, Ione, Wash. Application July 5, 1955, Serial N 0. 520,003 Claims. (Cl. 43-3) This invention is a foldable and collapsible decoy.

One object of the invention lies in the provision of a decoy which may be quickly and easily folded or collapsed in a very convenient carrying packet which requires a limited amount of space therefore will {permit one to carry a greater number of decoys in a given cubic capacity and quickly erect them when desired.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a collapsible decoy having the silhouette of a duck, goose or other living thing being hunted which may be set up without the use of tools of any kind and is so constructed to cause the several elements to interlock and prevent accidental collapsing of the decoy.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a collapsible decoy having a body with an extension pivotally secured thereto together forming the silhouette of the creature being hunted when viewed in side elevation and having a plate adapted to lock the body and extension together having the silhouette of the creature being hunted when viewed in top plan.

Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of a collapsible decoy having a novel means for supporting the decoy which includes a stiif wire standard having a pair of helicoid loops at its upper end between which the body is frictionally and removably secured.

Yet another object of of a collapsible decoy which is manufactured from a minimum number of parts assembled with :facility and therefore one which is very inexpensive to manufacture and yet eitective in use.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and which like numerals are employed to designate like parts, I have shown a preferred form of my present invention but it should be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure of the drawings but desire to claim the invention broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved collapsible decoy;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the locking plate forming a part thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the body of the decoy;

Figure 4 is .a perspective view of the extension having the silhouette of the head and neck; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing the extension in its extended position by dotted lines and in another position by full lines with the locking plate shown in cross section.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral designates the collapsible decoy in its entirety. It will be seen that the decoy comprises a that planar body 1 1 which is shaped to have the silhouette of a goose body when viewed from the side which discloses the back 12, chest 1 3, belly 14 and tall 15.

Adjacent to the back 12 above the chest 13 and tail the invention lies in the provision nited States Patent 0 15 the body 1 1 is provided with longitudinally aligned front and rear recesses 16 and 17. It will .be seen that the upper defining edges of the recesses are relatively short while the lower edges $18 and :19 are elongated. Further it will be seen that the front recess lower edge 18 has an angled portion t1'8 the purpose of which will be subsequently described.

The body 11 in its lower marginal edge portion and towards its front edge 13 is provided with an aperture 19 through which the zig-zag portion 20 of a support means '21 extends. The support means 21 is provided with a pair of helicoid loops 22 at the upper end of an elongated standard 23 which is adapted to be pressed into the ground and thus support the body 11.

In applying the :body to the support means 21 the zigzag extension 20 is inserted through the aperture 19 and the support member 21 moved to a position wherein the connecting portion intermediate the parallel oifset portions 20a and 20b of the extension 20 extends axially through the aperture 19 with the parallel portions 20a and 20b lying in face to face engagement with the opposed sides of the body 11. The support means 21 is then pivoted about the axis of the aperture 19 in such a way that the belly or lower edge 14 of the body 11 passes downwardly between the two helicoid loops 22 where it is frictionally and releasably secured. The standard 26 may then be thrust into the ground to support the decoy.

Spaced inwardly of the edge of the chest 13 and 'below the slot edge 18 a rivet hole 24 is formed through the body 11 and a rivet 25 extends through this hole and a hole 26 formed in the extension 27 to pivotally unite the extension 27 to the body :11 for tilting movements in a plane parallel to the plane of the body 11.

As seen in the drawings the extension 27 is shaped in the silhouette of the head and neck of a goose. The extension adjacent to its pivot is also provided with a recess 28 and the recess is defined by a short lower wall 29 and an elongated upper wall 30. it will be seen that the recess of the extension 27 is disposed to be laterally aligned with the forward recess 16 in the body 11. Thus the extension 27 may be pivoted to dispose the extension in juxtaposition with relation to the body 11, in which case it is disposed in its folded position. In full lines of Figure l and dotted lines of Figure 5 the extension is shown in its extended or operative position.

To lock the extension 27 in its extended or operative position there is provided a locking plate 31 which has a longitudinally extending slot 32 terminating inwardly of the marginal edges of the plate 3'1 and adapted to receive the back portion 1 2 of the body 1 1. A front recess 33 is also formed in the locking plate 31 and is longitudinally offset with the relation to the slot 32 on the side of the slot 32 identical to that side on which the extension 27 is pivoted to the body 1 1.

In assembling the several parts the extension '27 is disposed as shown in full lines in Figure 5 and the back 12 is disposed in the slot '32 of the locking plate with the plate extending at an upward angle commensurate to the angle 18 of the front recess lower edge and subsequently the plate is lowered and shifted rearwardly so that its forward connecting web 34 is disposed in the recess 16 and its rearward connecting web 35 is resting upon the lower elongated edge 19. The extension 27 is then pivot-ed to the broken line position of Figure 5 wherein the slot 28 is disposed in lateral alignment with the slot 16 and thence the locking plate 31 is shifted forwardly to the point where the forward connecting Web 34 enters the slot 28. Since the slot 28 is not :as deep as the slot 16 the web 3'4 does not completely leave the slot 16. Therefore the several elements are suitably locked together against accidental displacement.

To disassemble or collapse the decoy opposite movements of the several parts is effected.

It is to be understood that the shape of the body and extension as well as the locking plate may be varied to show several different positions of a single type creature and they also may be varied to show different species of creatures according to the desire of the particular hunter.

Having thus described my invention 1 claim:

1. A collapsible decoy comprising a flat planar body having a desired silhouette; said body having longitudinally aligned front and rear recesses in opposed edges thereof; an extension pivotally united with said body, spaced with respect to said front recess and moveable from a folded to an extended position; said extension having a recess disposed for lateral alignment with said front recess in said body when the extension is in its extended position; a locking plate disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of said body and having a slot therethrough receiving said body therein with the slot in axial alignment with said front and rear recesses in said body; where by the plate is shiftable forwardly and rearwardly with the slot alternately mating with said recesses in said body; said plate having a front recess disposed to mate with said extension recess, for locking said extension in its extended position when said plate is shifted forwardly; and means for supporting said decoy.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the means supporting said decoy comprises a relatively stiff wire standard having a pair of helicoid loops at its upper end between which the body is frictionally and removably engaged.

'3. The invention defined in claim 2 and further charaoter-ized by said body having an aperture near its lower edge; and a zig-zag extension on said loops extending at 4 a right angle to said standard and extending through said body aperture.

4. A collapsible decoy comprising a having a desired silhouette; said body having longitudinally aligned front and rear recesses in opposed edges thereof; an extension pivotally united with said body, spaced with respect to said front recess and moveable in a plane parallel to the plane of said body from a folded to an extended position; said front and rear recesses in said body having elongated lower edges; said extension having a recess disposed for lateral alignment with said front recess in said body when the extension is in its extended position; a locking plate disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of said body and having a slot therethrough receiving said body therein with the slot in axial alignment with said front and rear recesses in said body and the plate resting upon said elongated edges, whereby the plate is shifitable forwardly and rearwardly with the slot therein alternately mating with said recesses in said body; said plate having a front recess disposed to mate with said extension recess for locking said extension in its extended position when said plate is shifted torwardly; and means for supporting said decoy.

'5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein the elongated edge of said front recess in said body is angled with respect to the axis of the recess to permit angular positioning of said plate when said slot is mating with said front recess in said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Syms Aug. 4, 1903 Sherman et a1 Sept. 25, 1923 fiat planar body 

